Forgotten Memroies
by Koomahana
Summary: Sakura went to Suna to visit her grandmother, she meets a few other family members too, but during dinner a disaster happened that sent little Sakura Haruno running for her life. while trying to protect a boy from getting hurt by her attacker, Sakura get's knocked out. when she wakes, she sees that the boy she saved was sit beside her. "Hello, my name is Gaara."
1. Chapter 1: Running

Sakura Haruno was only four years old, she was fairly shy but very smart, she had pink hair and emerald green eyes; today she was meeting her grandma, in a village called Suna. It was very dusty and dirty and really hot, but grandma loved the desert, so Sakura didn't complain too loudly as she played with her new cousins Kinta and Mai.

During dinner something terrible happened. Some people showed up and started to hurt Sakura's family, her mother had gotten her outside, but she couldn't fallow. Sakura didn't know what happened to Kinta and Mai and her new grandma; she hoped they'd be okay. Sakura had to run for help, otherwise her family would perish and the strangers would be after her.

Sliding to a stop in the middle of the street, Sakura looked around herself one last time, even if she wanted to be a ninja like her grandma, she would have to learn to hide like all good ninja. Hearing the rushing footsteps quickly catching up to her, Sakura dove behind a stall's table, she prayed the people didn't see her, but she wasn't sure. Sakura heard their footsteps come to a stop, just feet behind her; she held her breath and waited for them to move on.

"Where'd she go?" snapped out a deep gravelly voice, "She's four! She couldn't have gotten far! Much less this far!" the strange man snapped out angrily, "She's the last of them! You know the mission! Go!" the man's voice echoed in the street loudly, Sakura heard the other's hurriedly reply and leave almost instantly. Sakura remembered what the man had said and it took everything she had not to start crying uncontrollably.

_I'm the last?_ Sakura though to herself, a few tears sliding down her cheeks, she buried her face into the head of her stuff teddy bear Ara; named after her older sister who went missing a few days ago.

"Hey," whispered a voice, looking up Sakura nearly screamed at seeing the little boy standing before her, "What are you doing?" his green eyes stared at her a moment, before he turned to the older man in the street who was quickly making his way over to him. "Are you playing hid and seek with the stranger?"

"You need to run," Sakura whispered, "He killed my family, he'll kill you too." The boy's black ringed eyes widened in surprise.

"Found you!" the man's voice echoed above her, Sakura panicked and pinned herself to the table as tightly as she could. The man picked up the table and threw it over his shoulder, he had expected to see her there crouching and terrified, but all he saw was a small teddy bear on the ground and the little red haired demon of Suna; Gaara.

Hearing the table crash the man snapped around, half expecting to see the little girl tangled in wooden bits, but it looked as if she jumped off the table at the last possible second. Sakura was picking herself up off the ground, one of her fingers twisted at an odd angle, it was so hard to keep her tears away and she couldn't stop them anymore. The man seemed over thrilled at her fear and pain and for a moment she thought that he might hit that little boy standing in his homes door way. He was worriedly watching her and unsure of what to do about the situation; but then Sakura's and Gaara's eyes locked, and in that split second she made her decision.

Sakura stood and started running, she knew the man would chase her, she was his mission; the boy wasn't. The man turned and through some knifes at her, Sakura heard the startled shout from Gaara just in time to turn and raise her arms to protect herself. The knifes scrapped past her legs and shoulders, one even cut the ribbon that held up the right half of Sakura's hair; her knees quivered and Sakura collapsed on the ground.

"Face it little girl, you can't escape me." The man taunted, "You're going to die!" the man charged Sakura, his sword drawn and raised to cut Sakura in half; she looked up at the man before her. A scream tore out of Sakura's throat, her hands raised to protect herself, he swung his sword down and she knew she was going to die, Sakura felt the impact and her world turned dark.

…

…

She didn't know what it was like to die, but she was sure that it didn't involve pain. She couldn't move her hand without her chest hurting; she couldn't move her eyes without her whole head banging like a drum. Sakura squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore her pain and heard someone gasp; she forced her eyes open and saw black ringed emerald orbs stare right back at her.

"I know you," Sakura gasped with a dry throat, quickly the boy sat her up and handed her a glass of water. Gratefully Sakura drank the water until her throat didn't hurt anymore. "I know you." Sakura said again a little more clearly, the little boy seemed a slightly put out; he stared down at his hands almost hatefully.

"You're that boy who was staring at me from his back door." Sakura whispered and then everything clicked and she looked around the room frightened at what she might see. "Where are we?" Sakura whispered hesitantly as she reached for Gaara's hand.

"You're in the hospital," Gaara whispered in return, squeezing her hand softly; Sakura stared at him.

"What about that man? The one who was chasing me?" Sakura asked quickly.

"I killed him." If anything that made Sakura even more frightened, she tightened her hold on his hand.

"He'll come back then." She sounded so sure that Gaara hadn't actually killed the man, and that he was most likely trying to make her feel safer. "The next time he comes, he'll bring even more men." It was only logical that this would happen; her grandma said that when a mission failed, someone else or the same person would return to finish the job, and they'd keep coming with more and more numbers or higher skill until the mission was a success. "Grandma said so…"

"Then I suppose that we should keep you under lock and key." Chuckled a voice, Sakura flinched and all but launched herself into Gaara's lap; the man beyond her curtain chuckled again.

"Yashamaru…" Gaara whispered so gently Sakura almost didn't hear him.

"I'm sorry little one; I didn't mean to frighten you." The man said, raising his hands so that Sakura could see them, but she only starred at the man before her, he had short blond hair and brown eyes; he really seemed to regret scaring her.

He looked as if a thousand weights were on his shoulders as if he only knew of pain and regret. Suddenly another man was behind him and this time Sakura did position herself in front of Gaara, she didn't like this new man. He hid his face behind a white cloth; he draped himself in long white robes with blue highlights.

"I guess Gaara did kill the right person this time." The man said, Sakura glared at the man, she _really_ didn't like him. Something about him made her want to run away. "There's no reason for you to be afraid of me little girl," the man said and Sakura could almost feel the man look right though her. "There's also no need for you to protect Gaara."

"Kazekage-sama…" the blond man, Yashamaru, whispered; he glanced between the strange man and the children in the corner of the room. Seeming to give up on trying to break the glaring contest between Sakura and his Kazekage, Yashamaru turned his attention back to the children. "Could you tell me your name little one?" Sakura didn't even glance at him, she kept her eyes trained on the Kazekage, Gaara glanced between his father and Sakura; he wasn't entirely sure who he should side with.

"You should answer Yashamaru, little girl" the Kazekage ordered, but Sakura only narrowed her eyes at him, gently Gaara placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"He's my father, you can trust him," Gaara said gently, Sakura glanced at him and seemed to consider his words before she gave one last glare at the Kazekage and relaxed in her seat next to Gaara.

"My name is Sakura Haruno, and I'm four years old." Sakura said calmly to Gaara, she completely ignored the Kazekage and eyed Yashamaru with suspicion when he sat at the end of her bed.

"Where were you born Sakura-chan?" Yashamaru asked, Sakura glanced at Gaara and at his encouraging nod; Sakura faced Yashamaru and answered him with narrowed, suspicion filled eyes.

"Village of leaves," Sakura said, not being able to pronounce 'Konoha' she settled for the other description of her village. Yashamaru tilted his head slightly, confusion written all over his face.

"Village of leafs…You mean Konoha?" he asked, Sakura nodded her head; a tint of pink on her cheeks "Is that where you are currently living?"

"Yes,"

"Why are you here in Suna?"

"Visiting,"

"Who are you visiting?"

"Grandmother,"

"Why was that man chasing you?" Yashamaru asked and watched Sakura stiffen and look at her hands, she clearly didn't know why, but he'd give her time to think on the answer.

"I…" Sakura started, "I think he killed my family…" Yashamaru glanced at his Kazekage, "We were just starting dinner when they came. Mommy got me out, but I don't know what happened after that; I only ran away like I was told to."

"Where is your grandmother's house?" Yashamaru asked gently, Sakura tilted her head and thought about what she knew about the house, Yashamaru wasn't sure what to do when her eyes glassed over as if she were dead.

"Grandma's house… looked like a ball with a hat…" that didn't make sense, Yashamaru tried to hold back his chuckles; that was an interesting description of a house.

"There was a stream…" Sakura said calmly, her eyes clearing up completely, Yashamaru and the Kazekage started at that, there weren't many houses near a stream. "It gave power to the house, grandma said so. She said that if I ever get lost I could just go to the big wall around the village and try to get to the center, if I do that then I'd find Uncle Shinjiro's house and he'll take me back to her home."

The Kazekage nodded his head to Yashamaru curtly, he knew the man Shinjiro Haruno and his boisterous elder sister, Naoko Haruno. Quickly the Kazekage turned and marched out of the room, he didn't need to hear anything more, he already knew where to look; there was only one place that used a stream to power their home and that was on the very fare edge of the western side of the village. The Kazekage paused in the hallway, he turned back towards the room he just left; he could hear someone chuckle and someone else talk lowly and calmly.

The girl said she was from the outskirts of the village, yet she was found and saved close to the center of the village where Gaara's and Yashamaru's home was; that was a long distance for a four year old to run none stop. In fact most ten year olds couldn't even run that far, so how did a four year old? How the hell could a four year old run so far from four or five Jonin's? Did someone carry her into the city only to abandon her to distract their assassins? Or did the fight in the Haruno house last so long that the tiny four year old was just given that much time to run?

The fourth Kazekage shook his head and made a mental note to get Yashamaru to ask the girl those questions, she was a puzzle that he really wanted to solve. But all good things came to those who wait, he'd have to be patient for the time being; he'd get his answers soon.

"Thank you Sakura-chan," Yashamaru said calmly, to the small pink haired girl "We'll check your home quickly and make sure everyone is okay." Yashamaru smiled at Sakura, but she didn't return it, she just starred at her hands as if she were going to cry.

"Hay Sakura-chan," Sakura tilted her head up to Yashamaru in puzzlement, "Why don't you come with me to my home? You can wait there if you want… Gaara will be there…" Sakura sniffed and rubbed at her eyes quickly; slowly she nodded her head and tried to jump down from the hospital bed; only to find herself floating in the air.

"Huh? What's this?" Sakura asked as she eyed the swirling sand around her feet as it slowly wrapped around her legs and supported her weight completely.

"Gaara!" Yashamaru snapped out, but Gaara only went wide eyed at Yashamaru, Gaara panicked and clutched his head, he knew what would happen next; he didn't want to hear her screams.

But they never came, the only sound that came from Sakura was her laughter, Gaara slowly raised his eyes to see what his sand was doing. Sakura was hovering in the air clutching at her sides as the sand tickled her bare feet, the sand rose around Sakura and wrapped itself around her like it was a blanket, or a pair of arms; that was when Gaara understood what was happening.

"Mother likes her…" Gaara whispered to Yashamaru, a little unsure if this was good or bad, Yashamaru looked like he was ready to faint. After a few minutes of watching Sakura chuckle as the sand cradled her gently, Yashamaru took a hesitant step backwards, gesturing gently for Gaara to fallow with Sakura.

Yashamaru watched as Gaara and Sakura traveled down the road to his home, Gaara's sand looked like an egg with how it wrapped around Sakura gently; the little girl didn't even seem bothered by Gaara's unique ability in the slightest. Hearing a yawn come from the tiny pink haired girl, Yashamaru smiled gently at the children and let a soft chuckle escape from his throat.

"My home isn't too far from here Sakura-chan, please wait a little longer." Yashamaru said pleasantly, Sakura smiled sleepily up at him; even Gaara turned and smiled at him. It seemed that Gaara was pleased that someone wasn't scared of him, it was amazing how bright his eyes were, Yashamaru wondered what would happen when Sakura had to leave. Would Gaara's eyes return to being dull and lifeless? As soon as Sakura entered their home she was placed into a bed and left to sleep for the night, Gaara decided that he could stay up beside her and keep her safe. Yashamaru chuckled at him and left the two of them alone with bedroom door open, this way he could quickly enter without losing speed to open the door.

…

…

The Suna Anbu swarmed over the house on the edge of the village, the perfectly round, two floor house was missing a wall closest to the stream and half the roof was missing on the second floor. The water wheel was tipped onto its side and broken in half, there didn't appear to be anything on the property that was left standing strait; it looked like a war zone.

"Mouse, Duck check inside the house; look for survivors." One of the Anbu ordered immanently, it was clear that this cat faced man was captain. "Hawk, lizard check the yard, I'll take the green house." Each person was named after the mask they were on their face, and each where dressed in black and silver, their cloaks protecting them from the cold night air.

"Yes sir!" the four others shouted together and scattered to their ordered placements, Cat watched his surroundings wirily; this place was too quiet.

"Captain!" the female voice of his second in command called over the intercom, "I found a body… you aren't going to like it."

"On my way," cat answered, it only took him two leaps to enter the house, and only a few steps to stand behind the woman who was crouched over a small female body.

"Hanako," he whispered gently, he knew the Haruno's; he himself was an orphan of the Haruno clan. The older woman before him was the civilian daughter of Naoko Haruno. Hanako looked as if she had taken a bath in a pool of blood, her golden-hair was stained crimson and her golden green eyes were dull and lifeless, even her white and red desert dress was stained crimson.

Cat immanently started looking around the room, he Knew Hanako was married to Otero Haruno and that they had brought their youngest daughter Sakura, he only prayed that the small four year old girl had made it out of the house in time. He just wished he knew were Otero, Naoko, Shinjiro, Kinta and Mei where, he didn't see them in the house and he feared for the worst. He knew his little cousins were here, but he didn't know if their parents or others were here, and the more he looked around his childhood home, the more he became uneasy.

Finally he reached the end of the hall and checked the last room, the sight that greeted him had nearly knocked the air out of his lungs, gulping he took a few shaky steps to his adoptive mother's body and collapsed to the ground next to her. A large portion of the wall had collapsed and half way buried her, her weapons were scattered around her hazardously and the room was almost crimson with her blood instead of being the soft sandy brown that he grew up knowing.

"Captain, do you know what was supposed to be happening here last night?" Mouse asked as she checked Hanako for any life, Cat nodded his head calmly from down the Hall where he just stepped out of one of the guest rooms where a body laid under a chunk of broken down wall; He would always know that long gray hair and ancient hand out stretched towards the door.

"They were greeting a few cousins of ours from Konoha, something about welcoming them to the family." Cat answered as Mouse quickly picked Hanako up into her arms.

"She'll alive, she's just exhausted," Mouse answered Cat's unasked question easily, "Why weren't you here? Things might not have been so bad if you were…" Cat nodded his head in agreement, if he were here then his adoptive family wouldn't have need to let Hanako fight and Naoko wouldn't have died.

"I couldn't participate because of duties—" Cat answered but was quickly cut off from another member of his team over their radios.

"Captain, I found a two survivors and a body! One of the survivors doesn't believe us to be Suna Anbu! Help would be nice!" that was the sound of Hawk; even Cat could hear the sounds of battle in the back ground of Hawk's voice, as well as a familiar shout.

"Tell the survivors that Hanako is alive and that her brother is coming!" Cat called back to Hawk as he turned and ran out of the house.

"Roger!" Hawk's voice called back, Cat rushed towards the sounds of a battle, Mouse quickly fallowing after him as Duck took Hanako to the hospital.

"Captain, who is it?" Mouse asked as she ran next to him, an explosion sounded and he could hear two screams through his ear piece, Cat gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder towards the fight.

"I hope its Kinta and Mei!" Cat called back as he neared the edge of the property

"What if it's not?" Mouse asked softly, another explosion sounded and a voice cried out.

"Then I'm in trouble!"

…

…

"Captain says that Hanako is alive!" Called out Hawk as he blocked a sword strike to his shoulder, "and that her brother is coming!"

"Liar!" cried out the young man before him as he jumped away and readied for another attach, "I saw Hanako-sama die!" the boy's flame yellow eyes were full of grief as he blocked and parried away from the two Anbu, his while white hair danced around his head as he fought back. His partner was tricky and almost cruel; she kept dancing around them like a butterfly, throwing exploding tags here and there. The sandy blond jumped out of the way of a wind strike and tried to throw another bomb at lizard, but he repeated the wind jutsu again and the tag exploded several feet away from her. She screamed and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, the white haired boy landed next to her and checked her vitals before he turned his full attention on them and scowled furiously at them before he charged.

"Listen kid!" Lizard called back to the white haired boy, who quickly parried and swiped at his chest before standing protectively in front of the other body. "Captain is on his way here! That means at least two other Anbu's will be coming as well!" Lizard blocked a strike to his head, and tried to trip the boy but only earned a nasty slash to his leg from the boy's quick swordsmen skills.

"Your imposters!" The boy cried out, "If you were Suna Anbu then you would have been here hours ago!" the boy made another swipe at Lizard, but was quickly blocked by the older man. "Grandmother is always being watched!"

"You can barely stand with two easy going Anbu; you sure as hell can't handle four serious Anbu!" Hawk called as he jumped over Lizard and kicked the boy away from his partner, the boy caught his kick strait in his chest. The boy flew and rolled to a stop several feet away from the second body, he struggled to his feet and by using his sword; the boy was able to stand up again.

"You will not kill us!" the boy gasped, "You will not win!" suddenly the chakra around him surged and swarmed around his sword, he raised it up to swipe down Hawk's chest and Hawk knew he wouldn't be able to dodge that blow. He was tired and running low on chakra, he wouldn't be able to dodge that attach, not without doing some serious damage to both the kid and himself; he knew it was futile, but Hawk raised his sword up into the boy's blind spot, if he could just stop the boy for a while, weaken him, then any damage done to his left side would be worth it.

"Disappear!" the boy roared and the chakra around the sword pulsed with even greater strength, Hawk's eyes widened behind his mask; this was it, he was going to die...

Only he didn't die…

Hawk opened his eyes to see his captain standing between them, his own Katana blocking Hawk's. Hawk's eyes widened behind his mask, the boy's sword was inches away from his captain's shoulder; but his shoulder was almost cut in half.

"W-what?" the boy gasped, Hawk watched as Mouse held tightly on to the boy's shoulder, trying to misbalance him; but it didn't work. "You won't kill us!" the boy roared as he moved away from the new Suna Anbu, Mouse quickly tackled and pinned the boy to the ground; she held the boy's arms behind his back tightly; his sword spinning away out of his reach. "Damn it! Let go of me!" he cried out furiously.

"Captain!" Mouse called over her shoulder at Cat, said man collapsed to his knees, his mask split in two and fell to the ground; the boy starred wide eyed at their captain.

"Jeez Kinta," cat said, a smile twitching on his lips, "How many times do I have to tell you not to use that technique? That's a… a last… resort…" the boy, Kinta, watched as his cousin fell towards the ground, his muddy reddish hair cascading around his shoulders as his lips lifted into a gentile smile, his cerulean blue eyes smiling amusedly at him.

"Aniki!" a voice cried out into the air echoing in everyone's ears, to Kinta, he'd never get that voice out of his head for the rest of his life; all because he went too far.

"Captain! Captain!" Hawk and Lizard called together franticly, shaking their captain urgently.

"Duck!" Mouse called into her mike at her throat, "Get a medic team up here NOW!" Kinta starred horrified at the man on the ground before him. "Don't move brat," Mouse growled out lowly, when he went to move towards the older man.

"Lizard, keep Captain stable! Hawk! Check the other kid!" Mouse quickly ordered, Hawk quickly scurried over to the tiny form of a young girl a few feet away. The younger girl struggled to sit up and with Hawk's help she sat up and watched them all wirily; she stiffened as Hawk passed a glowing green hand over her chest and again over her legs.

"What's your name little one?" Hawk asked as he lifted one of the girl's Carmel colored arms over his shoulder and wrapped an arm under her bare and bloody legs; gently and with a lot effort, Hawk lifted the tiny twelve year old girl into the air.

"Mei," she whispered gently, "My name is Mei Haruno." Hawk nodded his head and started for the trees; he quickly jumped up into a low nearby tree and used it to jump up onto a nearby building. His job now was to get this girl to the hospital and report to the Kazekage.

"What's going to happen to Kinta-nii?" Mei asked as she glanced up at the Bone faced mask of a bird, she saw the mask tilt slightly down towards her but received no answer. Mei shrugged and settled herself in for a very long day, after all, she wasn't a Suna Nin like her elder cousin, she was an Iwa Genin; a first ranked ninja of the land of cloud. Suna wasn't going to just take her word on everything; she attached and seriously wounded several Suna Nin. She'd be lucky to escape with her life; Mei didn't want to think about what they were going to do Kinta. He was a genin of another village too, he came from the village hidden in the mist, therefore Suna was going to give him hell; he nearly killed two of their shinobi.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you killed us both," Mei whispered to the wind as her world went black. Hawk gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his limits, when he arrived at the hospital, he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to his Kazekage; he fainted at the door of the hospital.

…

…

"Sakura-chan," called a soft voice, slowly Sakura opened her sleepy eyes to star up at Yashamaru tiredly. "Sakura-chan we found your grandmother's house," Sakura's eyes popped open and she sat up quickly.

"Is everyone okay? How are mommy and daddy? What about Mei and Kinta? Is Grandma Okay? Are there still bad ninja out there?" Yashamaru chuckled and held his hand up to Sakura's rapid fire questions, she paused and took a breath and waited patiently for his response.

"We found Kinta, Mei and your mother, their all alive," Yashamaru said, a smile on his face, Sakura let out a relieved sigh. "You grandmother however…" Yashamaru started and turned away from Sakura's anxious eyes. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan, she didn't make it."

…

Yashamaru walked Sakura and Gaara to the hospital to visit with her cousin while they recovered. After a few turns and the opening of one door later, found the three of them looking in on a room full of Anbu, the Kazekage and a twelve year old girl laying a bed with a cast on her ankle.

"Mei!" Sakura called as she took two hurried steps forward, she was immanently in the arms of the dark little girl, and the Anbu were around the Kazekage just as quickly.

"Sakura-sama!" Mei called as she squeezed Sakura tightly, she quickly pulled away to take a good look at Sakura quickly. "Those bullies didn't hurt you did they?" Sakura shook her head and Mei hugged her tightly once more.

"Nope they didn't touch me because I ran just like you told me too!" Sakura said as she nuzzled her head closer to her cousin's neck.

"You used chakra?" Mei asked seemingly amused with the little girl.

"Uh-huh, just like you showed me, I got really far!" Sakura sounded completely proud of herself; Mei chuckled as she stroked Sakura's hair out of her eyes.

"I guess you did little Hime," Mei smiled down at Sakura "It took me a long time to master that technique and you did it in five minutes! I'm very proud of you!" Sakura smiled back up at Mei before she noticed someone else starring at them; immanently Sakura ducked her head and tried to hide in Mei's arms.

"Hm, what is little Hime?" Mei looked over her shoulder at the Kazekage and quickly understood, while she held Sakura close to her, she could see the crave of power in the Kazekage's eyes and the dark cloak of blood and death that surround him like a second skin. Her mouth formed a thin hard line; he wanted to keep Sakura as a possible weapon despite his youngest son.

"I think it's about time we get you home Hime-sama," a voice called out coldly, Mei and Sakura turned towards the opened window to see a white haired young man with cold hazel green eyes locked on the Kazekage.

"Kinta!" Mei and Sakura chimed together happily, in the blink of an eye he was standing before Mei and Sakura protectively.

"Kinta-kun?" Sakura called curiously, "What's the matter?"

"We're leaving the village hidden in the Sand," Kinta answered, his hand resting lightly on a short sword at his hip. "The Haruno family is no longer welcome here, so we're leaving."

"Are you sure?" Mei asked, worry etched on her features, "What about cousin Nashanji or Hanako-sama and Otero-sama? They can't travel!"

"Shinjiro-san is taking care of Nashanji and Hanako-sama," Kinta replied coldly, his eyes narrowed at the Anbu team before them, studying their soft movements. "Otero-sama hasn't been found, my mission is to get you two to safety at whatever coasts."

"Otero-sama is missing?" Mei asked uncertainly, disbelief echoing in her words, Sakura started shivering in her arms, tears building in her green eyes. Mei quickly wrapped Sakura in her caramel colored arms tightly, tears threatened her own eyes, but she couldn't let them fall; at least not yet. "I can't travel Kinta-kun, my ankle—"

"Will be healed shortly," Kinta cut Mei off almost coldly; "We need to go, NOW!" suddenly the building rocked, Sakura screamed and clutched herself to Mei fearfully as Kinta grabbed his female counter part and jumped out the window.

"Sakura!" Gaara called as he tried to fallow after them, He didn't even get to say goodbye before Sakura and her cousins were out of sight. Gaara paused on the road, his head swiveling every which way trying to catch a sight of pink or white, but the only thing he saw was Yashamaru rushing towards him.

"Gaara!" Yashamaru called out, "Gaara their gone!" Gaara faced Yashamaru quickly.

"Gone?" Gaara asked disappointed "They left?"

"Yes, they already left the village." Yashamaru kneeled before Gaara "I don't think they'll be coming back anytime soon."

"Oh…" Gaara sighed and turned towards his home he shared with Yashamaru, once he entered the room that Sakura had slept in, he found the small bear that she had left behind.

"_This is Ara-chan, she's named after my big sister" Sakura said smiling, holding onto the tiny bear tightly. "Mommy said that you should name animals after someone special to you, this way you won't forget about them!"_

Gaara picked up the small stuffed animal and looked at curiously, that morning Sakura hadn't remembered the stuff bear, she was busy thinking about her family. The bare had deep green eyes while its coat was a deep desert red, on its right ear and pay was a little bit of dried blood.

"Can I name you Sakura?" Gaara asked the stuff animal, getting no response, Gaara sighed and sat on the bed, he didn't leave that room for the rest of the day; that night he wondered around the edge of village, searching for that girl who wasn't scared of him despite his control of sand.

…

"Sakura!" Mei cried out as a bomb went off close to Sakura, throwing her into nearby woods, not bothering with her fight any longer she launched herself after the thrown girl. she quickly made several shadow clones and continued on her path towards the tiny four year old as her clones beat the crap out of the unfortunate shinobi who through the bomb and missed.

"Mei! We're almost there! We have to cross the border and then they can't fallow us!" Kinta cried as he downed another Anbu member almost heartlessly, he quickly did a few hand seals and disappeared in the instant fog that was around them. Mei picked Sakura up into her arms and huddled close to Kinta as he placed his arms around her and helped her jump into the nearby trees.

"We're almost there," Kinta whispered, sweat dripping down his brow. "We're almost there," he was repeating it like it was a mantra, like if he said it enough times then it would come true. Mei huddled close to him as they traveled to the boarder of Fire country; she was worried about the blood that was seeping down Sakura's head.

"Will the Fire nation help us?" Mei asked as the memories of her clones rushed back to her, "There are still several more teams chasing after us, Suna sure is persistent."

"That's because they don't like weapons growing minds," Kinta replied, "ah! There! Do you see that Mei?" Kinta asked almost excitedly, Mei looked up and saw the woods start to get thicker, "We're almost there!" he raised his hand to his head band, when he removed his hand the symbol of mist was gone and a leaf was stationed there instead.

…

…

"Captain! I feel a surge of chakra to the east!" Kakashi glanced back at the female of his team, the sensor and the current member whose voice was echoing in his ear. "Two are on the defensive while the others are attaching!" Kakashi watched as the woman readied her weapons, his other teammates immanently copying her.

"Sparrow slow down," Kakashi sighed out, he hated that as soon as she felt the need to she rushed like hell to whatever fight she thought was worth her time. Although as bone masked bird landed next to him, Kakashi realized that there was something she hadn't quiet got out yet. "If you rush there too quickly you won't have enough chakra for the fight."

"The two aren't going to make it if we don't hurry! There's a third chakra that's really weak! I can barely feel it!" Kakashi let out a sigh as he changed his direction, fallowing after the rushing bird masked female; even he could feel the clash of chakra as well. He wondered why Sparrow was rushing so quickly to the fight, he'd never seen her this eager; Kakashi narrowed his eyes as different scents entered his nose.

"Can you tell how many enemies there are?" Kakashi asked from behind his wolf mask, there was a lot of blood and water in the air and beneath all of the scent of blood, Kakashi could just barely make out another scent.

"No Captain, there are too many," Sparrow answered, then her head jerked and a deep throaty growl echoed back to Kakashi's ears. "Never mind Captain, I can count them." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his third in commands tone of voice, how many could there possibly be that would make even her uneasy? "I'm counting at least five platoons, maybe more…"

"Sparrow what's wrong?" another member quickly asked, the female didn't even budge as she picked up speed, "What do you smell?" then it hit Kakashi, he'd forgot that she was a part of the Inuzuka clan, he'd forgot because her partner was still at the village nursing new bourn pups.

"Children," Sparrow answered, Kakashi's heart nearly stopped, "I smell three children," her voice was shaky but Kakashi could make out her next words. "The youngest is hurt badly; I don't think she's going to make it…" If children were involved then it was no wonder why she was pushing herself so hard, Inuzuka are well known for being over protective of their young; and as Kakashi watched the woman before him rush forward with gritted teeth, he decided that the Inuzuka weren't just over protective of their own young, but of _any_ children that were in harm's way.

Five minutes later Kakashi and his team stopped on the edge of the border of fire, Sparrow was just short of howling in anger. She growled as she landed on the wet ground and started pacing.

"That's Suna territory, we can't continue further, stay put." Kakashi ordered, a warning in his voice as he eyed Sparrow, who simply started passing the soggy ground just before the forest.

"Could they be Suna nin? Why would two Suna nin be running over to Konoha instead of to their own village?" Kakashi's second in command asked; Kakashi shrugged his shoulder as he glanced back behind him. Other Anbu teams were rushing towards them as well; they could feel the fighting chakra as clearly as the rest of his team.

"Maybe the two defending aren't apart of the Suna's forces…" Kakashi whispered, "But then why would Suna send so many of their ninja after children?" _why would Suna be chasing children period?_

"How far away are they?" monkey asked Sparrow, Kakashi would have to remind his team about speaking to angry, passing animals. Sparrow growled out again as she pointed strait a head of them.

"Their five miles east of here and their moving fast," Sparrow turned towards the mist covered river just before them, "I've never seen anyone move that fast before; they'll be here soon." Kakashi watched his team from his place up in the trees, he could feel the different chakras rushing towards them, he knew the two children were doing well with fighting off so many strong opponents, but if they didn't get to the border soon then there was nothing he and his team could do to help them.

Another team landed just behind Kakashi, their captain nodded his head at Kakashi and he returned the favor, pointing strait a head spreading his one hand out all the way. Indicating that the children were five miles strait due east, the captain nodded his head and settled himself a little closer to Kakashi.

"How many defending?" the captain asked, Kakashi raised two fingers, Kakashi could almost see the man's brows forward, "Enemies?"

"About five platoons, maybe more." Kakashi answered, returning his attention back to the river before him. As time passed the tension got thick with more teams showing up on the border, so it got so thick that once Kakashi could hear the sounds of battle, he almost relaxed; until he heard someone scream and Sparrow snarl in response from below him.

"What is it?" Monkey asked as Sparrow kicked at a nearby tree, giving it a rather healthy looking dent.

"One of the children is dyeing! She's been poisoned!" Sparrow sat on the edge of the forest floor almost in defeat; her next words were full of sorrow and pain. "She's too weak to continue over here, she won't make it to the border…" suddenly a voice roared over the air, it was so loud that a few Anbu members covered their ears; Kakashi was half tempted to do the same. The rivers surface started shifting, it was if someone had released a water jutsu because three dragons roared to life and attached the far side of the clearing in Suna's territory. Sparrow jumped up onto her feet and watched the other side of the river anxiously, she was ready to fly forward and fight.

"Sparrow," Kakashi said warningly, Sparrow nodded her head and readied a few kunai and shiriken.

"Thirty seconds!" someone called out Kakashi snapped his attention back towards the other side of the river, he could hear the sounds getting closer and closer until he could finally see the deadly dancing of several figures.

"Leaf shadow dance!" someone cried out and Kakashi saw the familiar attaches that many leaf genin and chunin often used, it was a move common to the hidden leaf.

"Hurry!" cried a girls voice, Sparrow looked ready to jump over the wide river at the scream "Get to the boarder I'll hold them off!"

"Mei!" that was a boy's voice, Kakashi could just barely make out two figures dodging each attach from their enemies as one shoved the other towards the river. "You can't! Mei!"

"Hurry!" the girl cried, "Get her home NOW!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the girl's words, he watched as suddenly many more shadows appeared and readied to attach. "Shadow clone jutsu!" roared the girl's voice; Kakashi could just barely make out a form rushing towards the river. He nearly launched himself forward when he saw the second child fall with startled cry, just narrowly missing a rather nasty looking attach. After a few more nin-jutsu's thrown here and there at his attackers, Kakashi watched as the boy raced across the river; he was half way across when two other shinobi honed in on him.

"Go," was all Kakashi had to say, Sparrow was gone almost before he said anything. She was suddenly in the air, her Kunai blocking out the thrown projectiles at were aimed at the child on the river's surface. As Sparrow landed and readied for another attach, Monkey and Snake were on the river next to the boy; they quickly picked him up and just as quickly landed on Konoha's side of the river.

"Mei!" the boy called, Kakashi starred at the small boy below him. In the boy's arms was small and pink. "Mei!" the boy's voice echoed on empty air, the sounds of battle didn't lesson, but the boy's two attackers stood on the river's edge waiting. The boy turned towards Monkey, "you have to help her please!" the boy begged.

"Captain! He's a leaf shinobi!" Monkey cried out to Kakashi, he nodded his head and landed next to the boy, "that girl has to be his teammate."

"Get her." Kakashi ordered, he wasn't surprised when Sparrow and Monkey both disappeared from his sight. He heard a few startled shouts as others left after Sparrow and Monkey, helping them through the mass of other shinobi, he wasn't all the surprised when they returned carrying a half dead girl in their arms. As the others teams gathered around the boy and girl, Kakashi stood before them just barely on the edge of the river.

"What are you doing attaching our shinobi?" Kakashi called over to the Suna-nin standing in the middle of the river, none answered him; but as one stepped forward, Kakashi and the other four captains on both sides walked forward. Once they were all standing before each other, Kakashi repeated his question.

"Those are not Konoha ninja," growled out one man, "They attached our village and our Kazekage."

"Liar!" snapped out the boy, Kakashi looked down at the scuffed up boy hiding just behind him, he was panting softly and glaring furiously at the sand ninja. "You sand-nin's tried to kills us!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the boy, he actually stopped and looked at the boy's head band and starred at the symbol; well he wasn't all that great at Genjutsu but the boy just might have used it on his headband.

"Cleary there is a miscommunication," one of his fellow captains chuckled as he relaxed slightly in his stance. "Why don't you tell us your story boy, at least the part that got us involved." The boy nodded his head understandingly.

"My name is Kinta Haruno, a branch member of the scattered Haruno family; I'm one of the guards for Sakura Haruno," the boy pointed over shoulder towards his companions. "Grandmother Naoko lives in Suna," here he pointed at the Sand Nin, "Naoko-sama is the monarch of the Haruno family."

"Hurry up to the important part kid you're wasting my patients," Snapped another captain, Kakashi let out a heavy sigh.

"Easy kitten," Kakashi said, earning a glare from the young man a few steps away from him. "Any and all information is important when deciding what to do about two running Nin and the _five_ squadrons chasing after them." Kinta nodded his head at Kakashi before he returned his attention back to the captain standing next to him.

"The Sand shinobi killed Naoko-sama during the recognition ceremony in Suna for Sakura-sama." Kinta said calmly, "By doing this any and all Haruno's within the Suna boarders is ordered to evacuate and scatter immanently." Kakashi could understand that a little bit, the boy pointed at the Suna Nin before them once more "Then they took Mei, Sakura and me away, I don't know about them but they put me in interrogation—"

"That you broke out of," snapped a Suna captain, his beady black eyes glaring at the twelve year old boy. "After which you attached Kazekage-sama!"

"Did not!" Kinta snapped back "I was picking Mei and Sakura-sama up when the foundations shook! That was _not_ my fault!"

"Why would the foundations of the hospital shake as you were 'picking them up'?" Snapped one of the other captains, "Lord Kazekage was in the same room as you with a team of Anbu right beside him when it you attached and then fled!"

"The foundation wouldn't have shaken if you didn't kill the one who built it you idiot!" Kinta nearly roared at the man.

"Easy!" Kakashi snapped out, every one turned their attention towards him quickly "You both are letting your emotions control you instead of keeping them rapped up tightly like you should." Here Kakashi looked sharply down at the boy beside him, Kinta stiffened and looked away as if ashamed.

"The Kazekage wants to use Sakura-sama as a shinobi of his village," Kinta said calmly "and he's willing to kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Why would the Kazekage want that child?" the leaf captain with cat mask asked, "and what does this have to do with you running here to our village?"

"We ran to Konoha because Sakura-sama was _born_ in Konoha," Kinta replied calmly almost glaring at the cat masked man. "She is a citizen of the village hidden in the leaves, she _belongs_ to Konoha."

"Well that changes things doesn't it?" Kakashi said after a moment of silence, he eyed the Suna captains almost smugly, now he knew he could protect the children because they were protecting a child of Konoha; which meant that they each fell under _their_ protection. "Steeling citizens from another village isn't looked well upon you know," Kakashi crinkled his good eye at them.

"Neither is poisoning one of them," replied another captain, Kakashi watched as the Suna captains glared furiously at them.

"This boy and that girl do not belong to Konoha," one captain said, Kakashi turned to the previously silent man. His voice was steady and devoid of any emotion, even his mask was didn't hold any paint on it. "The boy belongs to the hidden mist village and the girl belongs to Iwa." Kakashi gripped a Kunai tightly, so the boy did put a genjutsu on his head band, so was this whole thing a trap? Kinta stiffened at his side and glared at his feet almost hatefully, slowly he raised his hand to his headband; once he removed his hand his leaf was gone and was replaced with the four squiggly lines of mist.

"Mei and I were summoned to Suna for Sakura-sama's ceremony; she was to be engaged to one of the prominent families there to reassert a treaty of sorts," Kinta said starring at the surface of the river before he glared up at the last Suna captain who spoke. "And then all treaties were shot to hell when you abandoned Naoko-sama! You ordered Nashanji to work on the opposite side of the village that night! And then you attached us! You tried to kill us all!"

Kakashi watched the boy beside him, so the whole problem is a political bickering in Suna? Kakashi let out a heavy sigh; this was proving to be more of a headache then anything else.

"I knew you guys wouldn't be likely to help us if you knew that neither Mei nor myself come from your village so I thought that if I could at least trick you until you helped Sakura-sama back into your village then I could tell you the truth and allow myself to answer any and all questions you might have had for my village and family, I would answer any and all to the best of my abilities." Kinta said starring into a middle distance between the Suna Nin and himself, Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"You would willingly give up information about your village for the safety of two girls?" Kakashi asked, Kinta looked up at him, completely unfazed by the question.

"My village means nothing when compared to my family." The seriousness in the boy's voice and the stone cold expression on his face had completely convinced Kakashi that the boy believed those words with all his heart. "If a war were to break out between Iwa and Konoha again then I would defect and come to Konoha immanently, much like we did in the last war with Suna."

"Why would you do that?" a Suna captain asked, the boy turned towards him, still as serious as before.

"Because nothing is more important to a Haruno then the safety of their monarch. Sakura-sama is the next family head, her home is our home, if she decides that she'll die for Konoha then we will die for Konoha. That is our family's way." Kakashi couldn't help himself; he reached out and slapped Kinta as hard as he could on the back side of his head. "What was that for?!"

"The safety of your village should come first you idiot!" Kakashi snapped out, "If Sakura decided that she hated Konoha and wanted to destroy it would you help her do just that?"

"In a heartbeat."

Kakashi slapped the boy again for good measure, he then turned and walked away, Kinta growling at him as he fallowed with balled fists.

"If you cross this river it will be seen as an act of war and you will all be exterminated immanently," Kakashi snapped out coldly "Konoha will decided what to do with the Iwa and Mizu trespassers."

"I'm not trespassing!" Kinta snapped "I'm returning Sakura-sama!" but Kakashi didn't appear to have heard, he just kept walking.

"Captain I had Hawk transport the Iwa nin to the hospital immanently," one Anbu man said to his captain, Kakashi glanced at him as he stepped up to the place where he had left Kinta with the small thing of pink in his arms. "Another member took the younger girl to the hospital as well." Kakashi looked at his team and saw that Sparrow and Monkey were still with him, although a little unhappily and that his second in command was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Snake?" Kakashi asked suddenly.

"He left with little girl," Sparrow answered "He said my chakra was too low," she almost sounded like she was pouting.

"Snake?" Kinta asked, Kakashi turned and saw that the boy was an healthy color of white and green.

"You got something against Snakes?" Kakashi asked slightly irritated with the boy already.

"To the Haruno family, snakes are the symbols of evil," Kinta answered, he was nearly shaking were he stood.

"Symbols of evil…" Kakashi repeated slowly, Kinta nodded his head. "You guys just keep getting better and better," Kakashi mumbled as he took to the trees at a genin pace, only to find that once Kinta started running in the trees he was nearly as fast as the other Anbu's. Kakashi couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, even after nearly depleting himself the kid still had enough energy to run like hell towards Konoha.

"Let the chase begin,"

…

…

She was in a warm brightly colored field; Sakura looked around herself confused at her place. After a bit of wondering around in circles Sakura shrugged her shoulders and kneeled in the grass that was full of wild flowers. She could have sworn that she was running through a forest with Mei and Kinta, and then that big boom happened and she woke up here. Sakura looked around herself once more, she let out a heavy sigh, she still didn't know where she was; nothing was familiar to her.

"Hello little one," a voice called, Sakura snapped around quickly almost afraid at who might be standing behind her. "What are you doing here?" Sakura starred at the woman several feet away from her. The woman was dressed in a flowing Kimono of reds, white, and gold, she looked like a noble woman. Sakura starred at the woman's hair, she had Pink hair too.

"You look like me," Sakura said without thinking, the woman starred at her for a moment before she gave a throaty laugh.

"Yes I suppose that I do," the woman chuckled smiling down at Sakura, Sakura watched as the strange noble woman took two steps and stood next to her. "I guess that means we're related right?" the woman said as she squatted next to Sakura, Sakura starred at the woman's jade green eyes. "So what is a little cutie like you doing here?"

"I don't know," Sakura answered honestly, "We were running and then Mei-chan tried to hide me but there was a really big boom that hurt my eyes and ears… and then I woke up here." The woman next to her frowned as if disappointed, she let out a heavy sigh and sat on the ground next Sakura with a graceless thump.

"So the world is still at war huh?" she mused

"Huh?" the woman turned towards Sakura

"It's rude not to introduce yourself to someone," She smiled so gently at Sakura that Sakura felt embarrassed for not showing her manors.

"My name is Sakura Haruno," the woman's smile faulted but nodded her head all the same.

"My name is Haruko, It's a pleasure to meet you; little Haruno" Sakura beamed up at the woman gratefully, "What would you like to do now?"

"I want to go home," Sakura said without thinking, "I want to go back to my village; I want to see my mommy and daddy, I want to see Kinta and Mei and make sure their okay… I want to go home…" Sakura burst into tears and the woman, Haru, looked at her carefully after a moment she smiled at her.

"I guess that's a good enough answer that means that you weren't forced here like the others." Haru said over Sakura's sobs, the little four year old girl turned and looked at her, confusion written all over her face. "There were other pink haired girls, all a lot older then you when they were forced here to this land of in between," Haru said gesturing around them, "They each had a good reason for wanting my help and I did help most of them, but" Haru turned her gaze over to Sakura.

"I have never before met a girl with such devotions to her home," Haru smiled and chuckled at Sakura gently, "I dare say that you're not ready to leave the world of the living little Haruno…" Haru's hand gently brushed Sakura's hair away from her eyes and then the world stilled, little by little the world was filled with a bright white light and after what seemed like an endless stream of memories before her; Sakura heard someone calling out.

"Wh-where are you?" Sakura called out as she tried to near the voice, the voice kept getting louder and louder and just as she was about to make out the voice's words a hand clamped on her shoulder. Sakura looked up into the stern eyes Haru, she sighed in relief.

"You scared me!" Sakura said pouting up at Haru, the woman smiled at her but it didn't reach her eyes. "Haruko-chan?"

"There is a price for my help," Haru said as she turned away from Sakura, above them was a stream of bubbles, each one holding a picture inside. "Generally I would ask for blood, but you already spilt some," Haru smiled as if this was a good thing, Sakura's expression said otherwise, "So I'll take a different price," looking forward once more, Sakura looked at was before them. Before them was a red haired boy with black ringed aqua eyes in desert clothes and a girl with short pink hair, tear stained emerald eyes and a ragged brown bear clutched desperately to her chest as if it a shield.

"The memories of your most precious person and of one who changed your life forever," Haru said as she took a step beside Gaara, "Since you don't have a second person who changed your life, I suppose I would fill in that spot." Haru smiled at Sakura.

"I don't understand," Sakura said slowly

"I mean that when you open your eyes, your memories of the three of us will disappear." Haru said calmly, Sakura's eyes widened

"No!" she cried out "I don't want to forget Ara-Nee-chan and Gaara-kun! I don't want to forget you!"

"Don't worry Sakura-chan," Haru smiled gently at her, "I won't simply abandon you, I'll always be with you, and so will your sealed memories of your twin and this boy. One day you will awaken these memories and I will explain everything to you in full, but until then just be patient okay?"

"but—" Sakura's voice was cut off by Haru once more,

"Hay look it, Sakura-chan," Haru smiled at her, her hands out stretched almost lovingly, "Your awaking up!"

"Haruko!"

"Good morning sleeping beauty," the voice echoed in her mind and even though she didn't want to, Sakura's eyes fluttered open.

"Sakura!" Sakura starred at the tear stained face of her mother, "Oh Sakura, I feared you'd never wake!"

"Mommy?" Sakura whispered hoarsely, memories flashed through her mind quickly. "Mommy!"

"Sakura-sama!" Sakura turned and saw Kinta and Mei smiling brightly at her, several other doctors and ninja of her village surrounded her.

"Mei-chan! Kinta-kun! Your okay!" Sakura smiled as her two cousins wrapped her in their arms. Throughout the rest of the day several shinobi asked her questions, and she answered all of them as honestly as she could; she even told them that she knew she was forgetting something, she just didn't know what. Sakura's mother even told her that her father was never found at the house, Suna was searching throughout the nearby lands and they were hoping for the best, but somewhere in the back Sakura's mind; she knew he wasn't going to come back.

Days passed and still Sakura could not remember her escape well, after weeks and eventually months, Hanako Haruno gave up trying to get Sakura to remember. After a few years she gave up trying to find her husband, the year she decided this, was the same year that Sakura was admitted into the Ninja Academy as well as the year that Yashamaru died and Gaara changed forever…

_**Would anyone like to continue this? I simply got board so I'm putting it off for now…**_

_**If someone has an idea about where to go with this give me an E-mail and I'll tell you about the plan I had for this before I started focusing on my other stories…**_


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura Haruno was only four years old, she was fairly shy but very smart, she had pink hair and emerald green eyes; today she was meeting her grandma, in a village called Suna. It was very dusty and dirty and really hot, but grandma loved the desert, so Sakura didn't complain too loudly as she played with her new cousins Kinta and Mai.

During dinner something terrible happened. Some people showed up and started to hurt Sakura's family, her mother had gotten her outside, but she couldn't fallow. Sakura didn't know what happened to Kinta and Mai and her new grandma; she hoped they'd be okay. Sakura had to run for help, otherwise her family would perish and the strangers would be after her.

Sliding to a stop in the middle of the street, Sakura looked around herself one last time, even if she wanted to be a ninja like her grandma, she would have to learn to hide like all good ninja. Hearing the rushing footsteps quickly catching up to her, Sakura dove behind a stall's table, she prayed the people didn't see her, but she wasn't sure. Sakura heard their footsteps come to a stop, just feet behind her; she held her breath and waited for them to move on.

"Where'd she go?" snapped out a deep gravelly voice, "She's four! She couldn't have gotten far! Much less this far!" the strange man snapped out angrily, "She's the last of them! You know the mission! Go!" the man's voice echoed in the street loudly, Sakura heard the other's hurriedly reply and leave almost instantly. Sakura remembered what the man had said and it took everything she had not to start crying uncontrollably.

_I'm the last?_ Sakura though to herself, a few tears sliding down her cheeks, she buried her face into the head of her stuff teddy bear Ara; named after her older sister who went missing a few days ago.

"Hey," whispered a voice, looking up Sakura nearly screamed at seeing the little boy standing before her, "What are you doing?" his green eyes stared at her a moment, before he turned to the older man in the street who was quickly making his way over to him. "Are you playing hid and seek with the stranger?"

"You need to run," Sakura whispered, "He killed my family, he'll kill you too." The boy's black ringed eyes widened in surprise.

"Found you!" the man's voice echoed above her, Sakura panicked and pinned herself to the table as tightly as she could. The man picked up the table and threw it over his shoulder, he had expected to see her there crouching and terrified, but all he saw was a small teddy bear on the ground and the little red haired demon of Suna; Gaara.

Hearing the table crash the man snapped around, half expecting to see the little girl tangled in wooden bits, but it looked as if she jumped off the table at the last possible second. Sakura was picking herself up off the ground, one of her fingers twisted at an odd angle, it was so hard to keep her tears away and she couldn't stop them anymore. The man seemed over thrilled at her fear and pain and for a moment she thought that he might hit that little boy standing in his homes door way. He was worriedly watching her and unsure of what to do about the situation; but then Sakura's and Gaara's eyes locked, and in that split second she made her decision.

Sakura stood and started running, she knew the man would chase her, she was his mission; the boy wasn't. The man turned and through some knifes at her, Sakura heard the startled shout from Gaara just in time to turn and raise her arms to protect herself. The knifes scrapped past her legs and shoulders, one even cut the ribbon that held up the right half of Sakura's hair; her knees quivered and Sakura collapsed on the ground.

"Face it little girl, you can't escape me." The man taunted, "You're going to die!" the man charged Sakura, his sword drawn and raised to cut Sakura in half; she looked up at the man before her. A scream tore out of Sakura's throat, her hands raised to protect herself, he swung his sword down and she knew she was going to die, Sakura felt the impact and her world turned dark.

…

…

She didn't know what it was like to die, but she was sure that it didn't involve pain. She couldn't move her hand without her chest hurting; she couldn't move her eyes without her whole head banging like a drum. Sakura squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore her pain and heard someone gasp; she forced her eyes open and saw black ringed emerald orbs stare right back at her.

"I know you," Sakura gasped with a dry throat, quickly the boy sat her up and handed her a glass of water. Gratefully Sakura drank the water until her throat didn't hurt anymore. "I know you." Sakura said again a little more clearly, the little boy seemed a slightly put out; he stared down at his hands almost hatefully.

"You're that boy who was staring at me from his back door." Sakura whispered and then everything clicked and she looked around the room frightened at what she might see. "Where are we?" Sakura whispered hesitantly as she reached for Gaara's hand.

"You're in the hospital," Gaara whispered in return, squeezing her hand softly; Sakura stared at him.

"What about that man? The one who was chasing me?" Sakura asked quickly.

"I killed him." If anything that made Sakura even more frightened, she tightened her hold on his hand.

"He'll come back then." She sounded so sure that Gaara hadn't actually killed the man, and that he was most likely trying to make her feel safer. "The next time he comes, he'll bring even more men." It was only logical that this would happen; her grandma said that when a mission failed, someone else or the same person would return to finish the job, and they'd keep coming with more and more numbers or higher skill until the mission was a success. "Grandma said so…"

"Then I suppose that we should keep you under lock and key." Chuckled a voice, Sakura flinched and all but launched herself into Gaara's lap; the man beyond her curtain chuckled again.

"Yashamaru…" Gaara whispered so gently Sakura almost didn't hear him.

"I'm sorry little one; I didn't mean to frighten you." The man said, raising his hands so that Sakura could see them, but she only starred at the man before her, he had short blond hair and brown eyes; he really seemed to regret scaring her.

He looked as if a thousand weights were on his shoulders as if he only knew of pain and regret. Suddenly another man was behind him and this time Sakura did position herself in front of Gaara, she didn't like this new man. He hid his face behind a white cloth; he draped himself in long white robes with blue highlights.

"I guess Gaara did kill the right person this time." The man said, Sakura glared at the man, she _really_ didn't like him. Something about him made her want to run away. "There's no reason for you to be afraid of me little girl," the man said and Sakura could almost feel the man look right though her. "There's also no need for you to protect Gaara."

"Kazekage-sama…" the blond man, Yashamaru, whispered; he glanced between the strange man and the children in the corner of the room. Seeming to give up on trying to break the glaring contest between Sakura and his Kazekage, Yashamaru turned his attention back to the children. "Could you tell me your name little one?" Sakura didn't even glance at him, she kept her eyes trained on the Kazekage, Gaara glanced between his father and Sakura; he wasn't entirely sure who he should side with.

"You should answer Yashamaru, little girl" the Kazekage ordered, but Sakura only narrowed her eyes at him, gently Gaara placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"He's my father, you can trust him," Gaara said gently, Sakura glanced at him and seemed to consider his words before she gave one last glare at the Kazekage and relaxed in her seat next to Gaara.

"My name is Sakura Haruno, and I'm four years old." Sakura said calmly to Gaara, she completely ignored the Kazekage and eyed Yashamaru with suspicion when he sat at the end of her bed.

"Where were you born Sakura-chan?" Yashamaru asked, Sakura glanced at Gaara and at his encouraging nod; Sakura faced Yashamaru and answered him with narrowed, suspicion filled eyes.

"Village of leaves," Sakura said, not being able to pronounce 'Konoha' she settled for the other description of her village. Yashamaru tilted his head slightly, confusion written all over his face.

"Village of leafs…You mean Konoha?" he asked, Sakura nodded her head; a tint of pink on her cheeks "Is that where you are currently living?"

"Yes,"

"Why are you here in Suna?"

"Visiting,"

"Who are you visiting?"

"Grandmother,"

"Why was that man chasing you?" Yashamaru asked and watched Sakura stiffen and look at her hands, she clearly didn't know why, but he'd give her time to think on the answer.

"I…" Sakura started, "I think he killed my family…" Yashamaru glanced at his Kazekage, "We were just starting dinner when they came. Mommy got me out, but I don't know what happened after that; I only ran away like I was told to."

"Where is your grandmother's house?" Yashamaru asked gently, Sakura tilted her head and thought about what she knew about the house, Yashamaru wasn't sure what to do when her eyes glassed over as if she were dead.

"Grandma's house… looked like a ball with a hat…" that didn't make sense, Yashamaru tried to hold back his chuckles; that was an interesting description of a house.

"There was a stream…" Sakura said calmly, her eyes clearing up completely, Yashamaru and the Kazekage started at that, there weren't many houses near a stream. "It gave power to the house, grandma said so. She said that if I ever get lost I could just go to the big wall around the village and try to get to the center, if I do that then I'd find Uncle Shinjiro's house and he'll take me back to her home."

The Kazekage nodded his head to Yashamaru curtly, he knew the man Shinjiro Haruno and his boisterous elder sister, Naoko Haruno. Quickly the Kazekage turned and marched out of the room, he didn't need to hear anything more, he already knew where to look; there was only one place that used a stream to power their home and that was on the very fare edge of the western side of the village. The Kazekage paused in the hallway, he turned back towards the room he just left; he could hear someone chuckle and someone else talk lowly and calmly.

The girl said she was from the outskirts of the village, yet she was found and saved close to the center of the village where Gaara's and Yashamaru's home was; that was a long distance for a four year old to run none stop. In fact most ten year olds couldn't even run that far, so how did a four year old? How the hell could a four year old run so far from four or five Jonin's? Did someone carry her into the city only to abandon her to distract their assassins? Or did the fight in the Haruno house last so long that the tiny four year old was just given that much time to run?

The fourth Kazekage shook his head and made a mental note to get Yashamaru to ask the girl those questions, she was a puzzle that he really wanted to solve. But all good things came to those who wait, he'd have to be patient for the time being; he'd get his answers soon.

"Thank you Sakura-chan," Yashamaru said calmly, to the small pink haired girl "We'll check your home quickly and make sure everyone is okay." Yashamaru smiled at Sakura, but she didn't return it, she just starred at her hands as if she were going to cry.

"Hay Sakura-chan," Sakura tilted her head up to Yashamaru in puzzlement, "Why don't you come with me to my home? You can wait there if you want… Gaara will be there…" Sakura sniffed and rubbed at her eyes quickly; slowly she nodded her head and tried to jump down from the hospital bed; only to find herself floating in the air.

"Huh? What's this?" Sakura asked as she eyed the swirling sand around her feet as it slowly wrapped around her legs and supported her weight completely.

"Gaara!" Yashamaru snapped out, but Gaara only went wide eyed at Yashamaru, Gaara panicked and clutched his head, he knew what would happen next; he didn't want to hear her screams.

But they never came, the only sound that came from Sakura was her laughter, Gaara slowly raised his eyes to see what his sand was doing. Sakura was hovering in the air clutching at her sides as the sand tickled her bare feet, the sand rose around Sakura and wrapped itself around her like it was a blanket, or a pair of arms; that was when Gaara understood what was happening.

"Mother likes her…" Gaara whispered to Yashamaru, a little unsure if this was good or bad, Yashamaru looked like he was ready to faint. After a few minutes of watching Sakura chuckle as the sand cradled her gently, Yashamaru took a hesitant step backwards, gesturing gently for Gaara to fallow with Sakura.

Yashamaru watched as Gaara and Sakura traveled down the road to his home, Gaara's sand looked like an egg with how it wrapped around Sakura gently; the little girl didn't even seem bothered by Gaara's unique ability in the slightest. Hearing a yawn come from the tiny pink haired girl, Yashamaru smiled gently at the children and let a soft chuckle escape from his throat.

"My home isn't too far from here Sakura-chan, please wait a little longer." Yashamaru said pleasantly, Sakura smiled sleepily up at him; even Gaara turned and smiled at him. It seemed that Gaara was pleased that someone wasn't scared of him, it was amazing how bright his eyes were, Yashamaru wondered what would happen when Sakura had to leave. Would Gaara's eyes return to being dull and lifeless? As soon as Sakura entered their home she was placed into a bed and left to sleep for the night, Gaara decided that he could stay up beside her and keep her safe. Yashamaru chuckled at him and left the two of them alone with bedroom door open, this way he could quickly enter without losing speed to open the door.

…

…

The Suna Anbu swarmed over the house on the edge of the village, the perfectly round, two floor house was missing a wall closest to the stream and half the roof was missing on the second floor. The water wheel was tipped onto its side and broken in half, there didn't appear to be anything on the property that was left standing strait; it looked like a war zone.

"Mouse, Duck check inside the house; look for survivors." One of the Anbu ordered immanently, it was clear that this cat faced man was captain. "Hawk, lizard check the yard, I'll take the green house." Each person was named after the mask they were on their face, and each where dressed in black and silver, their cloaks protecting them from the cold night air.

"Yes sir!" the four others shouted together and scattered to their ordered placements, Cat watched his surroundings wirily; this place was too quiet.

"Captain!" the female voice of his second in command called over the intercom, "I found a body… you aren't going to like it."

"On my way," cat answered, it only took him two leaps to enter the house, and only a few steps to stand behind the woman who was crouched over a small female body.

"Hanako," he whispered gently, he knew the Haruno's; he himself was an orphan of the Haruno clan. The older woman before him was the civilian daughter of Naoko Haruno. Hanako looked as if she had taken a bath in a pool of blood, her golden-hair was stained crimson and her golden green eyes were dull and lifeless, even her white and red desert dress was stained crimson.

Cat immanently started looking around the room, he Knew Hanako was married to Otero Haruno and that they had brought their youngest daughter Sakura, he only prayed that the small four year old girl had made it out of the house in time. He just wished he knew were Otero, Naoko, Shinjiro, Kinta and Mei where, he didn't see them in the house and he feared for the worst. He knew his little cousins were here, but he didn't know if their parents or others were here, and the more he looked around his childhood home, the more he became uneasy.

Finally he reached the end of the hall and checked the last room, the sight that greeted him had nearly knocked the air out of his lungs, gulping he took a few shaky steps to his adoptive mother's body and collapsed to the ground next to her. A large portion of the wall had collapsed and half way buried her, her weapons were scattered around her hazardously and the room was almost crimson with her blood instead of being the soft sandy brown that he grew up knowing.

"Captain, do you know what was supposed to be happening here last night?" Mouse asked as she checked Hanako for any life, Cat nodded his head calmly from down the Hall where he just stepped out of one of the guest rooms where a body laid under a chunk of broken down wall; He would always know that long gray hair and ancient hand out stretched towards the door.

"They were greeting a few cousins of ours from Konoha, something about welcoming them to the family." Cat answered as Mouse quickly picked Hanako up into her arms.

"She'll alive, she's just exhausted," Mouse answered Cat's unasked question easily, "Why weren't you here? Things might not have been so bad if you were…" Cat nodded his head in agreement, if he were here then his adoptive family wouldn't have need to let Hanako fight and Naoko wouldn't have died.

"I couldn't participate because of duties—" Cat answered but was quickly cut off from another member of his team over their radios.

"Captain, I found a two survivors and a body! One of the survivors doesn't believe us to be Suna Anbu! Help would be nice!" that was the sound of Hawk; even Cat could hear the sounds of battle in the back ground of Hawk's voice, as well as a familiar shout.

"Tell the survivors that Hanako is alive and that her brother is coming!" Cat called back to Hawk as he turned and ran out of the house.

"Roger!" Hawk's voice called back, Cat rushed towards the sounds of a battle, Mouse quickly fallowing after him as Duck took Hanako to the hospital.

"Captain, who is it?" Mouse asked as she ran next to him, an explosion sounded and he could hear two screams through his ear piece, Cat gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder towards the fight.

"I hope its Kinta and Mei!" Cat called back as he neared the edge of the property

"What if it's not?" Mouse asked softly, another explosion sounded and a voice cried out.

"Then I'm in trouble!"

…

…

"Captain says that Hanako is alive!" Called out Hawk as he blocked a sword strike to his shoulder, "and that her brother is coming!"

"Liar!" cried out the young man before him as he jumped away and readied for another attach, "I saw Hanako-sama die!" the boy's flame yellow eyes were full of grief as he blocked and parried away from the two Anbu, his while white hair danced around his head as he fought back. His partner was tricky and almost cruel; she kept dancing around them like a butterfly, throwing exploding tags here and there. The sandy blond jumped out of the way of a wind strike and tried to throw another bomb at lizard, but he repeated the wind jutsu again and the tag exploded several feet away from her. She screamed and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, the white haired boy landed next to her and checked her vitals before he turned his full attention on them and scowled furiously at them before he charged.

"Listen kid!" Lizard called back to the white haired boy, who quickly parried and swiped at his chest before standing protectively in front of the other body. "Captain is on his way here! That means at least two other Anbu's will be coming as well!" Lizard blocked a strike to his head, and tried to trip the boy but only earned a nasty slash to his leg from the boy's quick swordsmen skills.

"Your imposters!" The boy cried out, "If you were Suna Anbu then you would have been here hours ago!" the boy made another swipe at Lizard, but was quickly blocked by the older man. "Grandmother is always being watched!"

"You can barely stand with two easy going Anbu; you sure as hell can't handle four serious Anbu!" Hawk called as he jumped over Lizard and kicked the boy away from his partner, the boy caught his kick strait in his chest. The boy flew and rolled to a stop several feet away from the second body, he struggled to his feet and by using his sword; the boy was able to stand up again.

"You will not kill us!" the boy gasped, "You will not win!" suddenly the chakra around him surged and swarmed around his sword, he raised it up to swipe down Hawk's chest and Hawk knew he wouldn't be able to dodge that blow. He was tired and running low on chakra, he wouldn't be able to dodge that attach, not without doing some serious damage to both the kid and himself; he knew it was futile, but Hawk raised his sword up into the boy's blind spot, if he could just stop the boy for a while, weaken him, then any damage done to his left side would be worth it.

"Disappear!" the boy roared and the chakra around the sword pulsed with even greater strength, Hawk's eyes widened behind his mask; this was it, he was going to die...

Only he didn't die…

Hawk opened his eyes to see his captain standing between them, his own Katana blocking Hawk's. Hawk's eyes widened behind his mask, the boy's sword was inches away from his captain's shoulder; but his shoulder was almost cut in half.

"W-what?" the boy gasped, Hawk watched as Mouse held tightly on to the boy's shoulder, trying to misbalance him; but it didn't work. "You won't kill us!" the boy roared as he moved away from the new Suna Anbu, Mouse quickly tackled and pinned the boy to the ground; she held the boy's arms behind his back tightly; his sword spinning away out of his reach. "Damn it! Let go of me!" he cried out furiously.

"Captain!" Mouse called over her shoulder at Cat, said man collapsed to his knees, his mask split in two and fell to the ground; the boy starred wide eyed at their captain.

"Jeez Kinta," cat said, a smile twitching on his lips, "How many times do I have to tell you not to use that technique? That's a… a last… resort…" the boy, Kinta, watched as his cousin fell towards the ground, his muddy reddish hair cascading around his shoulders as his lips lifted into a gentile smile, his cerulean blue eyes smiling amusedly at him.

"Aniki!" a voice cried out into the air echoing in everyone's ears, to Kinta, he'd never get that voice out of his head for the rest of his life; all because he went too far.

"Captain! Captain!" Hawk and Lizard called together franticly, shaking their captain urgently.

"Duck!" Mouse called into her mike at her throat, "Get a medic team up here NOW!" Kinta starred horrified at the man on the ground before him. "Don't move brat," Mouse growled out lowly, when he went to move towards the older man.

"Lizard, keep Captain stable! Hawk! Check the other kid!" Mouse quickly ordered, Hawk quickly scurried over to the tiny form of a young girl a few feet away. The younger girl struggled to sit up and with Hawk's help she sat up and watched them all wirily; she stiffened as Hawk passed a glowing green hand over her chest and again over her legs.

"What's your name little one?" Hawk asked as he lifted one of the girl's Carmel colored arms over his shoulder and wrapped an arm under her bare and bloody legs; gently and with a lot effort, Hawk lifted the tiny twelve year old girl into the air.

"Mei," she whispered gently, "My name is Mei Haruno." Hawk nodded his head and started for the trees; he quickly jumped up into a low nearby tree and used it to jump up onto a nearby building. His job now was to get this girl to the hospital and report to the Kazekage.

"What's going to happen to Kinta-nii?" Mei asked as she glanced up at the Bone faced mask of a bird, she saw the mask tilt slightly down towards her but received no answer. Mei shrugged and settled herself in for a very long day, after all, she wasn't a Suna Nin like her elder cousin, she was an Iwa Genin; a first ranked ninja of the land of cloud. Suna wasn't going to just take her word on everything; she attached and seriously wounded several Suna Nin. She'd be lucky to escape with her life; Mei didn't want to think about what they were going to do Kinta. He was a genin of another village too, he came from the village hidden in the mist, therefore Suna was going to give him hell; he nearly killed two of their shinobi.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you killed us both," Mei whispered to the wind as her world went black. Hawk gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his limits, when he arrived at the hospital, he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to his Kazekage; he fainted at the door of the hospital.

…

…

"Sakura-chan," called a soft voice, slowly Sakura opened her sleepy eyes to star up at Yashamaru tiredly. "Sakura-chan we found your grandmother's house," Sakura's eyes popped open and she sat up quickly.

"Is everyone okay? How are mommy and daddy? What about Mei and Kinta? Is Grandma Okay? Are there still bad ninja out there?" Yashamaru chuckled and held his hand up to Sakura's rapid fire questions, she paused and took a breath and waited patiently for his response.

"We found Kinta, Mei and your mother, their all alive," Yashamaru said, a smile on his face, Sakura let out a relieved sigh. "You grandmother however…" Yashamaru started and turned away from Sakura's anxious eyes. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan, she didn't make it."

…

Yashamaru walked Sakura and Gaara to the hospital to visit with her cousin while they recovered. After a few turns and the opening of one door later, found the three of them looking in on a room full of Anbu, the Kazekage and a twelve year old girl laying a bed with a cast on her ankle.

"Mei!" Sakura called as she took two hurried steps forward, she was immanently in the arms of the dark little girl, and the Anbu were around the Kazekage just as quickly.

"Sakura-sama!" Mei called as she squeezed Sakura tightly, she quickly pulled away to take a good look at Sakura quickly. "Those bullies didn't hurt you did they?" Sakura shook her head and Mei hugged her tightly once more.

"Nope they didn't touch me because I ran just like you told me too!" Sakura said as she nuzzled her head closer to her cousin's neck.

"You used chakra?" Mei asked seemingly amused with the little girl.

"Uh-huh, just like you showed me, I got really far!" Sakura sounded completely proud of herself; Mei chuckled as she stroked Sakura's hair out of her eyes.

"I guess you did little Hime," Mei smiled down at Sakura "It took me a long time to master that technique and you did it in five minutes! I'm very proud of you!" Sakura smiled back up at Mei before she noticed someone else starring at them; immanently Sakura ducked her head and tried to hide in Mei's arms.

"Hm, what is little Hime?" Mei looked over her shoulder at the Kazekage and quickly understood, while she held Sakura close to her, she could see the crave of power in the Kazekage's eyes and the dark cloak of blood and death that surround him like a second skin. Her mouth formed a thin hard line; he wanted to keep Sakura as a possible weapon despite his youngest son.

"I think it's about time we get you home Hime-sama," a voice called out coldly, Mei and Sakura turned towards the opened window to see a white haired young man with cold hazel green eyes locked on the Kazekage.

"Kinta!" Mei and Sakura chimed together happily, in the blink of an eye he was standing before Mei and Sakura protectively.

"Kinta-kun?" Sakura called curiously, "What's the matter?"

"We're leaving the village hidden in the Sand," Kinta answered, his hand resting lightly on a short sword at his hip. "The Haruno family is no longer welcome here, so we're leaving."

"Are you sure?" Mei asked, worry etched on her features, "What about cousin Nashanji or Hanako-sama and Otero-sama? They can't travel!"

"Shinjiro-san is taking care of Nashanji and Hanako-sama," Kinta replied coldly, his eyes narrowed at the Anbu team before them, studying their soft movements. "Otero-sama hasn't been found, my mission is to get you two to safety at whatever coasts."

"Otero-sama is missing?" Mei asked uncertainly, disbelief echoing in her words, Sakura started shivering in her arms, tears building in her green eyes. Mei quickly wrapped Sakura in her caramel colored arms tightly, tears threatened her own eyes, but she couldn't let them fall; at least not yet. "I can't travel Kinta-kun, my ankle—"

"Will be healed shortly," Kinta cut Mei off almost coldly; "We need to go, NOW!" suddenly the building rocked, Sakura screamed and clutched herself to Mei fearfully as Kinta grabbed his female counter part and jumped out the window.

"Sakura!" Gaara called as he tried to fallow after them, He didn't even get to say goodbye before Sakura and her cousins were out of sight. Gaara paused on the road, his head swiveling every which way trying to catch a sight of pink or white, but the only thing he saw was Yashamaru rushing towards him.

"Gaara!" Yashamaru called out, "Gaara their gone!" Gaara faced Yashamaru quickly.

"Gone?" Gaara asked disappointed "They left?"

"Yes, they already left the village." Yashamaru kneeled before Gaara "I don't think they'll be coming back anytime soon."

"Oh…" Gaara sighed and turned towards his home he shared with Yashamaru, once he entered the room that Sakura had slept in, he found the small bear that she had left behind.

"_This is Ara-chan, she's named after my big sister" Sakura said smiling, holding onto the tiny bear tightly. "Mommy said that you should name animals after someone special to you, this way you won't forget about them!"_

Gaara picked up the small stuffed animal and looked at curiously, that morning Sakura hadn't remembered the stuff bear, she was busy thinking about her family. The bare had deep green eyes while its coat was a deep desert red, on its right ear and pay was a little bit of dried blood.

"Can I name you Sakura?" Gaara asked the stuff animal, getting no response, Gaara sighed and sat on the bed, he didn't leave that room for the rest of the day; that night he wondered around the edge of village, searching for that girl who wasn't scared of him despite his control of sand.

…

"Sakura!" Mei cried out as a bomb went off close to Sakura, throwing her into nearby woods, not bothering with her fight any longer she launched herself after the thrown girl. she quickly made several shadow clones and continued on her path towards the tiny four year old as her clones beat the crap out of the unfortunate shinobi who through the bomb and missed.

"Mei! We're almost there! We have to cross the border and then they can't fallow us!" Kinta cried as he downed another Anbu member almost heartlessly, he quickly did a few hand seals and disappeared in the instant fog that was around them. Mei picked Sakura up into her arms and huddled close to Kinta as he placed his arms around her and helped her jump into the nearby trees.

"We're almost there," Kinta whispered, sweat dripping down his brow. "We're almost there," he was repeating it like it was a mantra, like if he said it enough times then it would come true. Mei huddled close to him as they traveled to the boarder of Fire country; she was worried about the blood that was seeping down Sakura's head.

"Will the Fire nation help us?" Mei asked as the memories of her clones rushed back to her, "There are still several more teams chasing after us, Suna sure is persistent."

"That's because they don't like weapons growing minds," Kinta replied, "ah! There! Do you see that Mei?" Kinta asked almost excitedly, Mei looked up and saw the woods start to get thicker, "We're almost there!" he raised his hand to his head band, when he removed his hand the symbol of mist was gone and a leaf was stationed there instead.

…

…

"Captain! I feel a surge of chakra to the east!" Kakashi glanced back at the female of his team, the sensor and the current member whose voice was echoing in his ear. "Two are on the defensive while the others are attaching!" Kakashi watched as the woman readied her weapons, his other teammates immanently copying her.

"Sparrow slow down," Kakashi sighed out, he hated that as soon as she felt the need to she rushed like hell to whatever fight she thought was worth her time. Although as bone masked bird landed next to him, Kakashi realized that there was something she hadn't quiet got out yet. "If you rush there too quickly you won't have enough chakra for the fight."

"The two aren't going to make it if we don't hurry! There's a third chakra that's really weak! I can barely feel it!" Kakashi let out a sigh as he changed his direction, fallowing after the rushing bird masked female; even he could feel the clash of chakra as well. He wondered why Sparrow was rushing so quickly to the fight, he'd never seen her this eager; Kakashi narrowed his eyes as different scents entered his nose.

"Can you tell how many enemies there are?" Kakashi asked from behind his wolf mask, there was a lot of blood and water in the air and beneath all of the scent of blood, Kakashi could just barely make out another scent.

"No Captain, there are too many," Sparrow answered, then her head jerked and a deep throaty growl echoed back to Kakashi's ears. "Never mind Captain, I can count them." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his third in commands tone of voice, how many could there possibly be that would make even her uneasy? "I'm counting at least five platoons, maybe more…"

"Sparrow what's wrong?" another member quickly asked, the female didn't even budge as she picked up speed, "What do you smell?" then it hit Kakashi, he'd forgot that she was a part of the Inuzuka clan, he'd forgot because her partner was still at the village nursing new bourn pups.

"Children," Sparrow answered, Kakashi's heart nearly stopped, "I smell three children," her voice was shaky but Kakashi could make out her next words. "The youngest is hurt badly; I don't think she's going to make it…" If children were involved then it was no wonder why she was pushing herself so hard, Inuzuka are well known for being over protective of their young; and as Kakashi watched the woman before him rush forward with gritted teeth, he decided that the Inuzuka weren't just over protective of their own young, but of _any_ children that were in harm's way.

Five minutes later Kakashi and his team stopped on the edge of the border of fire, Sparrow was just short of howling in anger. She growled as she landed on the wet ground and started pacing.

"That's Suna territory, we can't continue further, stay put." Kakashi ordered, a warning in his voice as he eyed Sparrow, who simply started passing the soggy ground just before the forest.

"Could they be Suna nin? Why would two Suna nin be running over to Konoha instead of to their own village?" Kakashi's second in command asked; Kakashi shrugged his shoulder as he glanced back behind him. Other Anbu teams were rushing towards them as well; they could feel the fighting chakra as clearly as the rest of his team.

"Maybe the two defending aren't apart of the Suna's forces…" Kakashi whispered, "But then why would Suna send so many of their ninja after children?" _why would Suna be chasing children period?_

"How far away are they?" monkey asked Sparrow, Kakashi would have to remind his team about speaking to angry, passing animals. Sparrow growled out again as she pointed strait a head of them.

"Their five miles east of here and their moving fast," Sparrow turned towards the mist covered river just before them, "I've never seen anyone move that fast before; they'll be here soon." Kakashi watched his team from his place up in the trees, he could feel the different chakras rushing towards them, he knew the two children were doing well with fighting off so many strong opponents, but if they didn't get to the border soon then there was nothing he and his team could do to help them.

Another team landed just behind Kakashi, their captain nodded his head at Kakashi and he returned the favor, pointing strait a head spreading his one hand out all the way. Indicating that the children were five miles strait due east, the captain nodded his head and settled himself a little closer to Kakashi.

"How many defending?" the captain asked, Kakashi raised two fingers, Kakashi could almost see the man's brows forward, "Enemies?"

"About five platoons, maybe more." Kakashi answered, returning his attention back to the river before him. As time passed the tension got thick with more teams showing up on the border, so it got so thick that once Kakashi could hear the sounds of battle, he almost relaxed; until he heard someone scream and Sparrow snarl in response from below him.

"What is it?" Monkey asked as Sparrow kicked at a nearby tree, giving it a rather healthy looking dent.

"One of the children is dyeing! She's been poisoned!" Sparrow sat on the edge of the forest floor almost in defeat; her next words were full of sorrow and pain. "She's too weak to continue over here, she won't make it to the border…" suddenly a voice roared over the air, it was so loud that a few Anbu members covered their ears; Kakashi was half tempted to do the same. The rivers surface started shifting, it was if someone had released a water jutsu because three dragons roared to life and attached the far side of the clearing in Suna's territory. Sparrow jumped up onto her feet and watched the other side of the river anxiously, she was ready to fly forward and fight.

"Sparrow," Kakashi said warningly, Sparrow nodded her head and readied a few kunai and shiriken.

"Thirty seconds!" someone called out Kakashi snapped his attention back towards the other side of the river, he could hear the sounds getting closer and closer until he could finally see the deadly dancing of several figures.

"Leaf shadow dance!" someone cried out and Kakashi saw the familiar attaches that many leaf genin and chunin often used, it was a move common to the hidden leaf.

"Hurry!" cried a girls voice, Sparrow looked ready to jump over the wide river at the scream "Get to the boarder I'll hold them off!"

"Mei!" that was a boy's voice, Kakashi could just barely make out two figures dodging each attach from their enemies as one shoved the other towards the river. "You can't! Mei!"

"Hurry!" the girl cried, "Get her home NOW!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the girl's words, he watched as suddenly many more shadows appeared and readied to attach. "Shadow clone jutsu!" roared the girl's voice; Kakashi could just barely make out a form rushing towards the river. He nearly launched himself forward when he saw the second child fall with startled cry, just narrowly missing a rather nasty looking attach. After a few more nin-jutsu's thrown here and there at his attackers, Kakashi watched as the boy raced across the river; he was half way across when two other shinobi honed in on him.

"Go," was all Kakashi had to say, Sparrow was gone almost before he said anything. She was suddenly in the air, her Kunai blocking out the thrown projectiles at were aimed at the child on the river's surface. As Sparrow landed and readied for another attach, Monkey and Snake were on the river next to the boy; they quickly picked him up and just as quickly landed on Konoha's side of the river.

"Mei!" the boy called, Kakashi starred at the small boy below him. In the boy's arms was small and pink. "Mei!" the boy's voice echoed on empty air, the sounds of battle didn't lesson, but the boy's two attackers stood on the river's edge waiting. The boy turned towards Monkey, "you have to help her please!" the boy begged.

"Captain! He's a leaf shinobi!" Monkey cried out to Kakashi, he nodded his head and landed next to the boy, "that girl has to be his teammate."

"Get her." Kakashi ordered, he wasn't surprised when Sparrow and Monkey both disappeared from his sight. He heard a few startled shouts as others left after Sparrow and Monkey, helping them through the mass of other shinobi, he wasn't all the surprised when they returned carrying a half dead girl in their arms. As the others teams gathered around the boy and girl, Kakashi stood before them just barely on the edge of the river.

"What are you doing attaching our shinobi?" Kakashi called over to the Suna-nin standing in the middle of the river, none answered him; but as one stepped forward, Kakashi and the other four captains on both sides walked forward. Once they were all standing before each other, Kakashi repeated his question.

"Those are not Konoha ninja," growled out one man, "They attached our village and our Kazekage."

"Liar!" snapped out the boy, Kakashi looked down at the scuffed up boy hiding just behind him, he was panting softly and glaring furiously at the sand ninja. "You sand-nin's tried to kills us!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the boy, he actually stopped and looked at the boy's head band and starred at the symbol; well he wasn't all that great at Genjutsu but the boy just might have used it on his headband.

"Cleary there is a miscommunication," one of his fellow captains chuckled as he relaxed slightly in his stance. "Why don't you tell us your story boy, at least the part that got us involved." The boy nodded his head understandingly.

"My name is Kinta Haruno, a branch member of the scattered Haruno family; I'm one of the guards for Sakura Haruno," the boy pointed over shoulder towards his companions. "Grandmother Naoko lives in Suna," here he pointed at the Sand Nin, "Naoko-sama is the monarch of the Haruno family."

"Hurry up to the important part kid you're wasting my patients," Snapped another captain, Kakashi let out a heavy sigh.

"Easy kitten," Kakashi said, earning a glare from the young man a few steps away from him. "Any and all information is important when deciding what to do about two running Nin and the _five_ squadrons chasing after them." Kinta nodded his head at Kakashi before he returned his attention back to the captain standing next to him.

"The Sand shinobi killed Naoko-sama during the recognition ceremony in Suna for Sakura-sama." Kinta said calmly, "By doing this any and all Haruno's within the Suna boarders is ordered to evacuate and scatter immanently." Kakashi could understand that a little bit, the boy pointed at the Suna Nin before them once more "Then they took Mei, Sakura and me away, I don't know about them but they put me in interrogation—"

"That you broke out of," snapped a Suna captain, his beady black eyes glaring at the twelve year old boy. "After which you attached Kazekage-sama!"

"Did not!" Kinta snapped back "I was picking Mei and Sakura-sama up when the foundations shook! That was _not_ my fault!"

"Why would the foundations of the hospital shake as you were 'picking them up'?" Snapped one of the other captains, "Lord Kazekage was in the same room as you with a team of Anbu right beside him when it you attached and then fled!"

"The foundation wouldn't have shaken if you didn't kill the one who built it you idiot!" Kinta nearly roared at the man.

"Easy!" Kakashi snapped out, every one turned their attention towards him quickly "You both are letting your emotions control you instead of keeping them rapped up tightly like you should." Here Kakashi looked sharply down at the boy beside him, Kinta stiffened and looked away as if ashamed.

"The Kazekage wants to use Sakura-sama as a shinobi of his village," Kinta said calmly "and he's willing to kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Why would the Kazekage want that child?" the leaf captain with cat mask asked, "and what does this have to do with you running here to our village?"

"We ran to Konoha because Sakura-sama was _born_ in Konoha," Kinta replied calmly almost glaring at the cat masked man. "She is a citizen of the village hidden in the leaves, she _belongs_ to Konoha."

"Well that changes things doesn't it?" Kakashi said after a moment of silence, he eyed the Suna captains almost smugly, now he knew he could protect the children because they were protecting a child of Konoha; which meant that they each fell under _their_ protection. "Steeling citizens from another village isn't looked well upon you know," Kakashi crinkled his good eye at them.

"Neither is poisoning one of them," replied another captain, Kakashi watched as the Suna captains glared furiously at them.

"This boy and that girl do not belong to Konoha," one captain said, Kakashi turned to the previously silent man. His voice was steady and devoid of any emotion, even his mask was didn't hold any paint on it. "The boy belongs to the hidden mist village and the girl belongs to Iwa." Kakashi gripped a Kunai tightly, so the boy did put a genjutsu on his head band, so was this whole thing a trap? Kinta stiffened at his side and glared at his feet almost hatefully, slowly he raised his hand to his headband; once he removed his hand his leaf was gone and was replaced with the four squiggly lines of mist.

"Mei and I were summoned to Suna for Sakura-sama's ceremony; she was to be engaged to one of the prominent families there to reassert a treaty of sorts," Kinta said starring at the surface of the river before he glared up at the last Suna captain who spoke. "And then all treaties were shot to hell when you abandoned Naoko-sama! You ordered Nashanji to work on the opposite side of the village that night! And then you attached us! You tried to kill us all!"

Kakashi watched the boy beside him, so the whole problem is a political bickering in Suna? Kakashi let out a heavy sigh; this was proving to be more of a headache then anything else.

"I knew you guys wouldn't be likely to help us if you knew that neither Mei nor myself come from your village so I thought that if I could at least trick you until you helped Sakura-sama back into your village then I could tell you the truth and allow myself to answer any and all questions you might have had for my village and family, I would answer any and all to the best of my abilities." Kinta said starring into a middle distance between the Suna Nin and himself, Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"You would willingly give up information about your village for the safety of two girls?" Kakashi asked, Kinta looked up at him, completely unfazed by the question.

"My village means nothing when compared to my family." The seriousness in the boy's voice and the stone cold expression on his face had completely convinced Kakashi that the boy believed those words with all his heart. "If a war were to break out between Iwa and Konoha again then I would defect and come to Konoha immanently, much like we did in the last war with Suna."

"Why would you do that?" a Suna captain asked, the boy turned towards him, still as serious as before.

"Because nothing is more important to a Haruno then the safety of their monarch. Sakura-sama is the next family head, her home is our home, if she decides that she'll die for Konoha then we will die for Konoha. That is our family's way." Kakashi couldn't help himself; he reached out and slapped Kinta as hard as he could on the back side of his head. "What was that for?!"

"The safety of your village should come first you idiot!" Kakashi snapped out, "If Sakura decided that she hated Konoha and wanted to destroy it would you help her do just that?"

"In a heartbeat."

Kakashi slapped the boy again for good measure, he then turned and walked away, Kinta growling at him as he fallowed with balled fists.

"If you cross this river it will be seen as an act of war and you will all be exterminated immanently," Kakashi snapped out coldly "Konoha will decided what to do with the Iwa and Mizu trespassers."

"I'm not trespassing!" Kinta snapped "I'm returning Sakura-sama!" but Kakashi didn't appear to have heard, he just kept walking.

"Captain I had Hawk transport the Iwa nin to the hospital immanently," one Anbu man said to his captain, Kakashi glanced at him as he stepped up to the place where he had left Kinta with the small thing of pink in his arms. "Another member took the younger girl to the hospital as well." Kakashi looked at his team and saw that Sparrow and Monkey were still with him, although a little unhappily and that his second in command was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Snake?" Kakashi asked suddenly.

"He left with little girl," Sparrow answered "He said my chakra was too low," she almost sounded like she was pouting.

"Snake?" Kinta asked, Kakashi turned and saw that the boy was an healthy color of white and green.

"You got something against Snakes?" Kakashi asked slightly irritated with the boy already.

"To the Haruno family, snakes are the symbols of evil," Kinta answered, he was nearly shaking were he stood.

"Symbols of evil…" Kakashi repeated slowly, Kinta nodded his head. "You guys just keep getting better and better," Kakashi mumbled as he took to the trees at a genin pace, only to find that once Kinta started running in the trees he was nearly as fast as the other Anbu's. Kakashi couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, even after nearly depleting himself the kid still had enough energy to run like hell towards Konoha.

"Let the chase begin,"

…

…

She was in a warm brightly colored field; Sakura looked around herself confused at her place. After a bit of wondering around in circles Sakura shrugged her shoulders and kneeled in the grass that was full of wild flowers. She could have sworn that she was running through a forest with Mei and Kinta, and then that big boom happened and she woke up here. Sakura looked around herself once more, she let out a heavy sigh, she still didn't know where she was; nothing was familiar to her.

"Hello little one," a voice called, Sakura snapped around quickly almost afraid at who might be standing behind her. "What are you doing here?" Sakura starred at the woman several feet away from her. The woman was dressed in a flowing Kimono of reds, white, and gold, she looked like a noble woman. Sakura starred at the woman's hair, she had Pink hair too.

"You look like me," Sakura said without thinking, the woman starred at her for a moment before she gave a throaty laugh.

"Yes I suppose that I do," the woman chuckled smiling down at Sakura, Sakura watched as the strange noble woman took two steps and stood next to her. "I guess that means we're related right?" the woman said as she squatted next to Sakura, Sakura starred at the woman's jade green eyes. "So what is a little cutie like you doing here?"

"I don't know," Sakura answered honestly, "We were running and then Mei-chan tried to hide me but there was a really big boom that hurt my eyes and ears… and then I woke up here." The woman next to her frowned as if disappointed, she let out a heavy sigh and sat on the ground next Sakura with a graceless thump.

"So the world is still at war huh?" she mused

"Huh?" the woman turned towards Sakura

"It's rude not to introduce yourself to someone," She smiled so gently at Sakura that Sakura felt embarrassed for not showing her manors.

"My name is Sakura Haruno," the woman's smile faulted but nodded her head all the same.

"My name is Haruko, It's a pleasure to meet you; little Haruno" Sakura beamed up at the woman gratefully, "What would you like to do now?"

"I want to go home," Sakura said without thinking, "I want to go back to my village; I want to see my mommy and daddy, I want to see Kinta and Mei and make sure their okay… I want to go home…" Sakura burst into tears and the woman, Haru, looked at her carefully after a moment she smiled at her.

"I guess that's a good enough answer that means that you weren't forced here like the others." Haru said over Sakura's sobs, the little four year old girl turned and looked at her, confusion written all over her face. "There were other pink haired girls, all a lot older then you when they were forced here to this land of in between," Haru said gesturing around them, "They each had a good reason for wanting my help and I did help most of them, but" Haru turned her gaze over to Sakura.

"I have never before met a girl with such devotions to her home," Haru smiled and chuckled at Sakura gently, "I dare say that you're not ready to leave the world of the living little Haruno…" Haru's hand gently brushed Sakura's hair away from her eyes and then the world stilled, little by little the world was filled with a bright white light and after what seemed like an endless stream of memories before her; Sakura heard someone calling out.

"Wh-where are you?" Sakura called out as she tried to near the voice, the voice kept getting louder and louder and just as she was about to make out the voice's words a hand clamped on her shoulder. Sakura looked up into the stern eyes Haru, she sighed in relief.

"You scared me!" Sakura said pouting up at Haru, the woman smiled at her but it didn't reach her eyes. "Haruko-chan?"

"There is a price for my help," Haru said as she turned away from Sakura, above them was a stream of bubbles, each one holding a picture inside. "Generally I would ask for blood, but you already spilt some," Haru smiled as if this was a good thing, Sakura's expression said otherwise, "So I'll take a different price," looking forward once more, Sakura looked at was before them. Before them was a red haired boy with black ringed aqua eyes in desert clothes and a girl with short pink hair, tear stained emerald eyes and a ragged brown bear clutched desperately to her chest as if it a shield.

"The memories of your most precious person and of one who changed your life forever," Haru said as she took a step beside Gaara, "Since you don't have a second person who changed your life, I suppose I would fill in that spot." Haru smiled at Sakura.

"I don't understand," Sakura said slowly

"I mean that when you open your eyes, your memories of the three of us will disappear." Haru said calmly, Sakura's eyes widened

"No!" she cried out "I don't want to forget Ara-Nee-chan and Gaara-kun! I don't want to forget you!"

"Don't worry Sakura-chan," Haru smiled gently at her, "I won't simply abandon you, I'll always be with you, and so will your sealed memories of your twin and this boy. One day you will awaken these memories and I will explain everything to you in full, but until then just be patient okay?"

"but—" Sakura's voice was cut off by Haru once more,

"Hay look it, Sakura-chan," Haru smiled at her, her hands out stretched almost lovingly, "Your awaking up!"

"Haruko!"

"Good morning sleeping beauty," the voice echoed in her mind and even though she didn't want to, Sakura's eyes fluttered open.

"Sakura!" Sakura starred at the tear stained face of her mother, "Oh Sakura, I feared you'd never wake!"

"Mommy?" Sakura whispered hoarsely, memories flashed through her mind quickly. "Mommy!"

"Sakura-sama!" Sakura turned and saw Kinta and Mei smiling brightly at her, several other doctors and ninja of her village surrounded her.

"Mei-chan! Kinta-kun! Your okay!" Sakura smiled as her two cousins wrapped her in their arms. Throughout the rest of the day several shinobi asked her questions, and she answered all of them as honestly as she could; she even told them that she knew she was forgetting something, she just didn't know what. Sakura's mother even told her that her father was never found at the house, Suna was searching throughout the nearby lands and they were hoping for the best, but somewhere in the back Sakura's mind; she knew he wasn't going to come back.

Days passed and still Sakura could not remember her escape well, after weeks and eventually months, Hanako Haruno gave up trying to get Sakura to remember. After a few years she gave up trying to find her husband, the year she decided this, was the same year that Sakura was admitted into the Ninja Academy as well as the year that Yashamaru died and Gaara changed forever…

_**Would anyone like to continue this? I simply got board so I'm putting it off for now…**_

_**If someone has an idea about where to go with this give me an E-mail and I'll tell you about the plan I had for this before I started focusing on my other stories…**_


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